


Kat and her most fashionable niches

by jarofactonbell



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: Character-centric, Gen, Humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-12 03:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12950661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarofactonbell/pseuds/jarofactonbell
Summary: “You know,” she tells Jane and Kat one day, “even though I work in fashion, my top most fashionable moments are weirdly when you two are around.”“Guess you’re my fashionable moments then, ladies.”Based on the prompt: Sutton!! MY PURE RAY OF SUNSHINE. Five fashion moments in Sutton’s life she’ll remember forever? Memories she associates with a particular blouse, or scarf, or bracelet, or coat? (Btw, I prefer Sutton/Alex to Sutton/Richard, although I don’t mind Sutton/Richard. I really love Sutton and Alex’s dynamic and would even appreciate a friendship fic about them!)





	Kat and her most fashionable niches

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mapped](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mapped/gifts).



> I really tried! I hope this is close to what you asked for!

Sutton and her most memorable fashion niches

  1. The friendship rings



 

Jane threw her bag on the table, high heel dropping one after another with loud click clacks on their floor. Kat, sprawled on the ratty couch, stuffing coming undone under the back of her knees, groaned as Jane nudged her aside to sit on the corner of the couch.

“Hey babe, how was Jacqueline?” Sutton asked from inside their shower, wrapping a towel around her hair. Jane groaned as answer.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Kat mumbled, “what’s up boo?”

Jane didn’t even flinch when Kat’s foot nudged her back. She hadn’t let go of her work bag, the one Kat and Sutton secretly bought her when she got an internship at Scarlet.

“Babe?” Sutton emerged, eyelashes wet, “you alright?” Kat sat up, drawing her feet under her to allow Sutton to snuggle up beside her, arms circling Jane, rubbing up and down.

“I got my first pay check today,” Jane told them.

“Isn’t that good new?” Kat asked her, “no?”

“Well I bought something straightaway,” Jane glanced at her bag, “I’m not too sure if it’s worth the money.”

“Oh honey,” Sutton petted her hair, “it’s your money. You can spend it on useless things that make you happy.”

“Maybe you can return what you bought if you’re not happy with it,” Kat suggested. Sutton gave her a look. _I’m just trying to help,_ Alex held up her palms, eyes wide.

“Well I bought rings,” Jane pulled out a bag.

“I’m sure they’ll look great on you,” Sutton whispered to her.

“They’re for us,” Jane continued.

Kat stood up so fast she hit Sutton on the back of her head. Sutton dropped her hand, stunned, as Jane revealed three matching rings inside a jewellery case, embedded in silicone foam.

“Janey, Janey, it’s your first pay check, baby, you don’t need to give us anything,” Sutton’s hands hovered in the air, fingers twitching in hesitance, the indecision in her eyes giving away everything that she’s thinking. _Spend your money on yourself, don’t worry about us._

“Well, I thought that today is a landmark, y’know, first pay check, Jacqueline praising your jacket, Kat getting us on Forbes,” Jane pulled out the three silver platinum rings. They’re engraved.

“Jacqueline always praise my jacket, sweetie,” Sutton tucked a strand of hair behind Jane’s ear, “it’s not that big of a landmark.”

“I got us on Forbes like three times this year babe, no need for rings,” Kat picked one off Jane’s palm, “they’re engraved?”

She held it closer to Sutton’s eyes. Kat’s birthday, the numbers clear and deeply-etched onto the platinum rim. Sutton picked another ring off Jane’s palm, Jane’s own birthday similarly engraved.

“I wanted to buy platinum ones because I know Kat’s skin reacts weirdly with silver and like, you don’t have to wear it or anything all the time, keep it in your pocket or something,” Jane hastily put on her Presentation Voice, not meeting their eyes. Kat’s mouth sat agape, looking from her friend to the ring. Sutton closed her palm around Jane’s ring and folded the brunette in a hug, nose nuzzling Jane’s hair. Kat joined the bundle of limbs, giggling as Jane broke out in a nervous squeal when Sutton’s elbow dug into her hip.

“I love it! I’ll keep it on me every day!” Kat clasped the ring to her chest.

“We should play that peg game,” Sutton suggested, sliding the ring onto her finger.

_“The what?”_

“You keep a peg on you at all time during the day and if you’re caught without your peg then you’re out of the game. But we do this with a ring,” Sutton glanced at her finger and at Jane, beaming. _I love it,_ she mouthed.

Jane’s shoulders lost some tenseness.

“Instead of being out, we can just have that person wash the dishes,” Kat stretched.

“Great idea,” Jane pointed, “this game is starting from now.”

 

Sutton paces, heels forgotten by the shoe cabinet. Kat and Jane are somewhere, but the office outside sounds like it’s being mowed over with people running to the fashion closet. Jane nearly slams into the door, tripping inside. Kat’s heels follow, eyes wide and arms open. Sutton immediately ceases her pacing, breathing evening. Jane’s eyes search for any visible harm on her and they both stop about a foot from her, hands hovering in the air.

“Benjamin wants me to coordinate our winter connection,” she whispers.

“Can I squeal? I don’t think I’m allowed to,” Kat looks between the two of them, “okay not squealing,” at Jane’s sharp glare.

“I don’t know what to do,” Sutton stares miserably at the closet, “there are too many things that need to be done and I don’t know where to start.”

“Babe, babe, breathe,” Jane steps closer to tug her into a hug, “we’ll work with you, yeah?”

“Tell us what you need,” Kat beams, “have your ring on you.”

“Actually, weird request, but,” Sutton lets go of Jane, “can I have both of your rings?”

“Sure?” Kat already slid her off, handing the platinum accessory over to Sutton, “why?”

Jane hands hers over. Sutton clasps them to her heart.

 

“It’s like having you two by myself, next to my heart, and I feel safe.”

 

  1. The coat



“Alex, for the last time, pal, that is ugly,” Sutton tries to keep her voice even. Alex either purposely blocks her out or his ugly conglomeration of clothes makes sense inside his head.

“No,” he insists, pulling the lapels of the coat even closer, “I love it. I’m reinventing myself.”

“You’re wearing a coat that looks like it’s been chewed and spat out by a dot with a pink polka dotted shirt,” Sutton blinks, voice bland, “with yoga pants.”

“What’s wrong with my yoga pants?” He looks himself up and down and at the mirror. “The coat looks fine.”

“They’re red,” she points a manicured finger at the material stretching over his thigh, “and leathery.”

“It’s faux leather! This is a material desired by the fashionables!”

“Please don’t say it like that,” she turns away, “Oh god I can’t look. Take it off.”

“You’re just jealous I rock this look! I made this look a thing. I made it work!”

“Take it off Alex when I’m being nice,” she turns her head away from him, giving privacy. She hears clothes rustling, thankful that one of her friends listen to her advice for once (no Kat, that was absolutely not a dig at your bangles with that necklace). Browsing through the shirts, she doesn’t hear the approaching footsteps until one of her arms is wrestled into a sleeve.

Sutton tries to fight Alex off her, but in some inconceivable way, he jumps back, pushing her to the mirror.

“How-” Sutton’s mouth falls open and close, “how did you do this?”

While the coat was a mistake on Alex (apologies), it looks good on her.

Hot even.

Wow. Wow. She is nailing this look.

“Oh wow,” Alex’s face appears at her left shoulder, eyebrow climbing up further on his forehead, “you’re rocking it, Sutton.”

“Much better than you did, Alex,” she pulls on the lapels and jolts when her phone vibrates. A text from Oliver and spam messages from Jane and Kat. Something with ‘hurry up I need those shoes’ with a lot of angry faces.

“We need to go,” she strips the jacket off her shoulders, grabbing the shoes, “come on, you’re dressed, Alex, let’s leave.”

“You look good,” he grins, taking off after her.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” she grins back.

 

On the anniversary of her one month since she worked with Oliver, with proper credence paid by her fellow housemates in the form of wine and excessive confetti on her bed that morning, she decides to buy herself two muffins, deeming them acceptable rewards for her self-perseverance.

Someone is already at her desk.

“Alex,” she smiles, holding up a muffin, “have one. How are you?”

“No no you keep that for yourself,” he politely declines, jostling a bag, “it’s for your one month celebration since you escaped Lauren.”

“I’d like to say thank you for being nice, but is that green juice I see?” She points to the too familiar container. Alex’s smile brightens.

“It’s for you! Happy anni – I was joking, gee Sutton,” he cries in mock pain, shielding his head from the onslaught of purse slaps from Sutton. “I actually have a present for you.”

“What is it?” She asks, not taking him seriously at all.

There is a brown package being pressed into her hands. Alex takes the muffins off her, motioning for Sutton to open the package.

It’s the coat from before.

“Did you bribe Jacqueline for this?” She whispers, awed, impressed and mildly scared for her friend.

“No!” He denies, “I just had to do something for her.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“Never, Sutton. Why would I?”

“Okay,” she hugs it to her chest, “thank you.”

 

She wears it everywhere.

 

  1. The bra



This is it. She’s going to do it. She’s going into that one store, get that one thing, then leave.

“Breathe Sutton,” she mumbles. “You’ve done worse things. This is basically nothing.”

Victoria’s Secret seems so intimidating. She considers turning away.

“No,” she reprimands herself, “you gotta. This is a one in lifetime thing. Come on Sutton.”

She steps inside.

 

“Uh,” she holds the lid of the box up, packaging coming undone, “what is this?”

Clearly whoever made it has an idea how to put it on, but she does not. That is too intricate for a strap and she briefly mourns the loss of her money in the exchange.

“Okay I can do this,” she breathes, shedding her shirt and bra. Briefly glancing at herself in the mirror, she tries a smile. Unhooking the bra, she clips it over her ribs. Feeling the all-too-familiar tight grip of the elastic band, she swivels the cups to the front, pulling the bra right underneath her breasts. Slipping the intricate straps over her shoulders, she takes in a breath, chokes when her lungs expand and meet the metal constricting her ribs.

“Yep, that’s still the same,” she gasps, running a hand over her hair. Her eyes meet the Sutton inside the mirror. Still the same skin. Still with the wild wild hair.

But damn does she look like a woman now, her skin healthy and figure defined. The bra does make her feel empowered, with the knowing restrictions she imposed on herself.

She rises, a woman. Sutton Brady, the adult, shedding the girl behind.

In her mismatched underwear and an expensive bra that took two months’ worth of salary from her measly assistant job, she is every bit the woman she has yet to become.

 

  1. The dreamcatcher



“That one! That one!” Kat points to a wooden hoop. “We should get that one.”

“Uh,” Sutton and the stall owner share a look, “Kat he hasn’t finished making the dreamcatcher.”

“I haven’t even started,” the lady lifts a brow, “can you ladies wait for five minutes? It won’t take long for me to finish up.”

“No!” Kat insists, stomping her boots. “I want it now!”

“Can we just have the frame? I’ll pay for it. She had a lot to drink tonight,” Sutton digs her bag for her purse, one hand rummaging while the other holds onto Kat who’s trying to reach over the stall to obtain the frame.

“No need. Take it. I think she’ll wreck my entire stall if you delay any further. Please,” the frame is passed over to Kat’s eager hands, “take it. Leave.”

 

“What is this for?” She holds Kat’s hand, “Katherine Edison I know you weren’t drunk. You outdrank the entire floor last month when we had that after-party.”

“For you,” Kat skips ahead, the back of her hair flying, strands coming undone from under he headscarf.

“Why for me? I don’t have any strips of fabric.”

“Are you sure? Think. Think,” Kat turns, bright eyes under festival lights. At Sutton’s pinched eyebrows, she throws back her head and laughs, reaching over to touch her pointer finger in the middle of Sutton’s forehead. “You have the shirt.”

The shirt.

Sutton stops walking, almost dropping her bag.

The shirt.

The one that she bought, nicked from her mother’s purse, hopping onto the bus that vibrated and shook its way to the mall. The bright blue shirt with the obscene sequins and glitter spelling out the words ‘You go gurl!’ that sparkled when she wore it.

She’d torn it apart the next day, strip by strip, sometimes with scissors, sometimes by hand. Weirdly she kept it, the detested strips of bright blue gradually fading to a stained blue, always in the pocket of her suitcase.

Kat and Jane found out about the shirt the first time they raided through her closet, perplexed at the strips of brightly-coloured fabric sitting in a zip lock bag underneath all the socks meticulously arranged.

“It’s the first shirt I bought by myself,” Sutton told them, “it taught me to never touch sequins again.”

_And to buy my own clothes with my own money._

They didn’t ask, a few months later, the same strips of fabric still in the exact same spot.

 

“What can my strips of fabric do?” Sutton chokes out a laugh, not thinking Kat would mention them.

“To make a dreamcatcher. They catch bad dreams and let you keep good ones. These strips of fabric, they’re bad right, so they’ll keep bad dreams away. You can let go of them now.”

“I don’t know Kat,” she sobs, “I don’t know.”

“Trust me, okay?” Kat’s hand slips into hers. “Let’s call Jane. And get a lot of scissors. Glitter. I want those natural fake rocks.”

 

  1. The flower crown



“You’re really pretty,” Jane’s nephew(?) tells her. She is still not sure whose kid is this because Jane is an only child, everybody knows, and when she introduced the bright-eyed boy to Sutton and Kat as her nephew they had greeted the boy accordingly and did not move fast enough to isolate Jane to interrogate her on this unknown nephew.

“Thank you, Matthew,” Sutton lowers her knees until their eyes are level, “you’re not too bad yourself.”

“Can you wear this flower crown?” He holds out a flower crown, delicately woven with droopy daffodils and wild yellow flowers, interspersed with leaves. “I made it myself.”

“How?” She accepts it, genuinely surprised. The handiwork amazes her. “Thank you, Mattie.”

“Please don’t call me that,” the boy cringes, “aunt Janey calls me that and she pinches my cheeks.”

“Well aunt Janey needs to stop,” Sutton whispers to him conspiratorially, “otherwise you can tell her aunt Sutton knows where she keeps her chocolate stash and I will eat them if I get a call from Matthew.”

“I’ll tell her that,” Matthew whispers back. “Can I put it on you?”

“You certainly can. I feel so honoured,” she coos, eyes crinkling, “why me?”

“Because you’re pretty,” he shrugs, scooting closer, heels coming off the ground, “and you look like a princess.”

“Aww you’re making me blush.”

“Sutton are you bullying my nephew?”

“No way,” Sutton puts a finger to her lips, “we’re just fine.”

 

“You know,” she tells Jane and Kat one day, “even though I work in fashion, my top most fashionable moments are weirdly when you two are around.”

“Guess you’re my fashionable moments then, ladies.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for requesting. I hope I did a decent job of it!


End file.
